Brush.



No. 866,493. PATENTED SEPTi 17, 1907. B. LITTAUER. BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1907.

5 i w J l. J l5 WiTNESSES: I8 27 INVENTOR: @VM/fif 25 2 20 @W, 44%25 B EIQQU Lita-neg E3 fi v 8 W q 2/ 5 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES BENNO LITTAUER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed May 13, 1907. Serial No. 373,249.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENNO LITTAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brushes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements in brushes; and, the invention relates more particularly to a novel brush which may be used for various purposes, and is admirably adapted for use as a toothbrush, the device comprising a rotary element upon which the bristles which form the brush are arranged, and the device beingprovided, furthermore, with a reciprocatory means for actuating the brush-element and producing a rotary-oscillatory movement of the latter.

My present invention has for its principal objects to provide a neat, simple, efficient, and easily operated brush of the general character hereinafter more fully set forth, which may be made of such construction and size, so as to be used for holding the rotary-oscillatory brush-element against the teeth whereby the bristles are more readily moved directly into the spaces between any two adjacent teeth, which can not be as readily accomplished with the usual constructions of tooth-brushes, and thereby providing better cleansing effects in less time andwith less labor.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of my present invention.

With the various objects of my present invention in view, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel brush hereinafter set forth; and, furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangements and combinations of devices, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a brush made according to and embodying the principles of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the brush, said section being taken on line 3-3 in said Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow :0, some of the parts of the device being represented in elevation; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken on line 44 in said extending chambered member 6.

Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow y, said section being made on an enlarged scale.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates the complete device, the same comprising a tubular body or element 2, which may be made of any suitable material, and is formed with a longitudinally extending slot or opening 3 which is preferably made at its lower end with an enlarged open portion, as 4, substantially as shown and for the purposes presently to be more fully described. Connected with the lower open end-portion of said tubular body or element 2 is a suitable holding means or handle 5, and extending across and connected with the upper open end of said body or element 2 is a laterally This hollow body or chambered member 6 is preferably of the configuration shown in the several figures of the drawings, and it consists, essentially, of the curved side-member 7 and a pair of perforated end-pieces 8 and 9. Rotatively arranged in the bearings formed by the perforations in said end-pieces 8 and 9 are the end-portions of a rod or spindle 10 upon which is centrally disposed a pulleywheel 11, preferably in the form of a serrated or toothed pinion, substantially as shown. Suitably constructed cylindrical and tubular hubs 12 and 13 are alranged upon said rod or spindle 10, upon the opposite sides of the wheel 11, said hubs 12 and 13 being provided in any desired manner with outwardly extending brushbristles or fibers 14. A pin 15 is secured in any suitable manner in the lower end-portion of said tubular body or element 2, said pin having its end-portions rotatably arranged in suitable holes or perforations in the opposite sides of said body or element, and secured upon said pin 15 is another pulleywheel 16, also preferably in the form of a serrated or toothed pinion. A flexible connection 17, as a belt of leather or-any other suitable material, is arranged over the said wheels or pinions 11 and 16, the two overlapping end-portions 18 and 19 of said flexible connection being suitably secured to a reciprocatory actuating device. This device consists substantially of a handle 20, preferably formed with a flanged part 21 from which extends a flat or rectangularly shaped member 22 having connected therewith, substantially as shown, a screw-threaded part 23. To secure the perforated ends 18 and 19 of the connection 17 to said device, said end-portions are overlapped and brought directly back of the enlarged open part 4' of the slot or opening 3. Washers 24 and 25 are placed upon the opposite sides of the overlapped end-portions, a nut 26 being arranged upon the washer 25. The screwportion 23 and the flat member 22 are then passed into and through the open part 4., the screw-portion being passed through the washers and the overlapping encb portions of the flexible connection 17 and screwed into the nut 26, thus positively uniting the parts, with the washer 24 bearing firmly against a shoulder 27 which is formed between the fiat member 22 and the screwportion 23. By moving the handle 20 in an upward direction, the flat member 22 is arranged within the slot or opening 3, against turning .therein, as will be clearly evident, so that the overlapping end-portions oi the flexible connection 17 can not become disconnected or separated by any possible unscrewing of the nut 26.

From an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen, that the cylindrical brush-portions will project sufiiciently from the open part 28 in the front 1 of the hollow or chambered member 6, whereby, when rapidly reciprocating the handle 20 of the flexible belt for producing the revolving oscillatory motions of the wheels or pinion l1 and'l6, and consequently similar motions of the brush-sections or members, the said brush-sections or members can be readily brought in their active relation with any surface which is to be cleansed and polished.

As has been stated the device may be used for the various purposes for which brushes, and especially rotary brushes, are intended, and when made of the desired shapes and sizes is admirably adapted for the purposes of cleansing the teeth in the mouth of a person.

I claim:

1. A brush comprising a tubular body formed with a longitudinally extending opening, a chambered element at one end ofsaid body, said element being formed with an opening, a spindle mounted in said chambered element, a brush-element carried by said spindle, a wheel on said spindle, and a wheel within said tubular body, a flexible connection arranged over said wheels, and a reciprocatory actuating device connected with said flexible connection and extending through the longitudinally extending opening of said tubular body.

2. A brush comprising a tubular body formed with a longitudinally extending opening, a chambered element at one end of said body, said element being formed with an opening, a spindle mounted in said chambered element, a brush-element carried by said spindle, a toothed or serrated wheel on said spindle, and a toothed or serrated wheel within said tubular body, a flexible connection in movable engagement with the teeth or serrations of said wheels, and a reciprocatory actuating device connected with said flexible connection and extending through the longitudinally extending opening of said tubular body.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of May, 1907.

BENNO LITTAUER.

Witnesses FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, F. H. W. FRAENTZEL. 

